While Nashville’s contributions to country music have been documented extensively, the city’s far-reaching rhythm & blues legacy is not as well known. The pioneering R&B activity played a significant role in building Nashville’s worldwide reputation as “Music City” in the 1940s, ’50s, and ’60s, a...

Novelist and songwriter Alice Randall tells stories of her career in music and discusses her newest book, “My Black Country,” and the companion album of songs she’s written. The Museum’s Paul Kingsbury moderated this conversation, which was followed by performances of two of Randall’s songs by ar...

Songwriter Trannie Anderson performs songs she has written, shares the stories behind them, and answers audience questions as part of the Museum’s Songwriter Session series. This program was recorded on June 8, 2024.

During this program, Anderson performs three songs she co-wrote with Lainey Wil...

Grammy-winning musicians Rosanne Cash and John Leventhal share stories of their creative collaborations throughout their thirty years together and discuss their record label, RumbleStrip Records. This live interview and performance was presented in partnership with the Americana Music Association...

Acclaimed singer-songwriter John Hiatt performs and shares stories from throughout his fifty-year career as part of the Museum's Poets and Prophets series, which honors songwriters who have made notable contributions to country music. Museum writer-editor Dave Paulson moderates this edition, whic...

For six decades, recording artist, songwriter, and visual artist Terry Allen has been sharing his various forms of conceptual art. This program, recorded on July 20, 2024, and hosted by the Museum’s RJ Smith, digs into Allen’s career and discusses and showcases multiple works.

Allen and musician...

: Recording artist, songwriter, and CMT Next Women of Country mentor Kimberly Perry hosts this showcase and discussion featuring CMT Next Women of Country acts Tanner Adell, Mae Estes, Kylie Frey, Emily Ann Roberts, and Tigirlily Gold. This program was recorded on June 7, 2024, during CMA Fest 20...

The city of Chicago, Illinois, has supported a diverse arts and entertainment landscape, including singer-songwriter John Prine. Recorded on October 8, 2023, during the annual “You Got Gold: Celebrating the Life and Songs of John Prine” event, this program shares the impact Chicago had on Prine’s...

To coincide with Black Music Month, the Museum and co-producers Rissi Palmer and Shannon Sanders organized a multi-artist concert celebrating the many ways Black Americans have created, contributed to, and been influenced by country music, as documented and shared through the Museum’s multi-facet...

North Carolina native Carter Faith performs songs she’s written, answers questions, and shares stories from her songwriting career during this Songwriter Session, recorded on February 10, 2024. Faith has co-written songs with Tofer Brown, Kat Higgins, Lauren Hungate, Lori McKenna, Ashley Monroe, ...

East Tennessee native, bassist, and producer Mark Fain performs songs and shares stories from his career during this Musician Spotlight program, recorded on April 14, 2024. He is accompanied by Brent Rader on keys and John Leventhal on guitar.

During this program, seven-time Grammy-winner Fain a...

Many of the same musicians have backed Eric Church, both on his albums and during live performances, since he got his start as a signed artist. In this program, Church’s current band—Jeff Cease, Lee Hendricks, Jeff Hyde, Billy Justineau, Driver Williams, and Craig Wright—discusses working with Ch...

Masters of traditional Irish folk music Altan and world-renowned dobroist Jerry Douglas bring together their deep collective knowledge of Celtic musical traditions for an insightful conversation and powerful musical performance. This program, which took place in the museum’s Ford Theater, was rec...

Recording artist and songwriter Kelsey Waldon performs songs she has written and recorded and shares the stories behind them as part of the Museum’s Songwriter Session series. This program was recorded on March 2, 2024, in support of the Museum’s exhibition “American Currents: State of the Music....

Mandolin player C. J. Lewandowski performs songs and shares stories from his career as part of the Museum’s weekly Musician Spotlight series. This program, recorded on March 3, 2024, was presented in support of the 2024 edition of the Museum’s exhibition “American Currents: State of the Music,” w...

Recording artist and songwriter Ashley Cooke performs songs she’s written and recorded and shares the stories behind them as part of the Museum’s Songwriter Session series. This program was recorded on March 23, 2024.

Accompanied by guitarist Chauncey Arner, Cooke performs songs included on her ...

Singer-songwriter Gabe Lee performs his original songs on acoustic guitar and piano. During the program, recorded on February 24, 2024, he discusses his experiences growing up in Nashville, telling stories, and making music.

During the program, Lee performs “Rusty,” from his album The Hometown K...

During this songwriter round, recorded on March 16, 2024, Marta Albarracin, Brenda Coulter, Marcela Pinilla Eicher, Rachel Rodriguez, and Rosa Rodriguez perform original songs with hit songwriter and mentor Pat Alger and share the stories behind them.

In 2021, Alger became a mentor with the Tenn...

Deke Dickerson discusses his book “Sixteen Tons: The Merle Travis Story,” which paints a vivid and unvarnished portrait of the guitar innovator, hit songwriter, and member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. Joining him to share music and memories are master guitarists Tommy Emmanuel and Eddie Pen...

During this conversation and performance moderated by music journalist Jewly Hight, Americana artists Adeem the Artist, Mya Byrne, Autumn Nicholas, and Allison Russell perform and discuss how they use their platforms as songwriters and musical artists to affect change. This program was recorded o...

Hailing from Manitoba, Canada, singer-songwriter William Prince shares songs he’s written and the stories behind them during 2023’s AmericanaFest. His performance was recorded on September 23, 2023, and presented in partnership with the Americana Music Association.

William Prince has released fo...

In honor of influential country recording artist and songwriter Hank Williams and marking the 100th anniversary of his birth, “Hank’s 100th: A Concert in Celebration of Hank Williams” showcases a wide variety of country and Americana artists influenced by Williams’s music. The show’s cast include...

Black Opry founder Holly G and her co-director, Tanner Davenport, along with Frankie Staton—who led the Black Country Music Association from the mid-1990s into the early 2000s—discuss their organizations’ histories and impact, as well as their future goals for representation and expanding diversi...